title: Mexiletine. Long-term efficacy and side effects in patients with chronic drug-resistant potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias.
abstract: The antiarrhythmic efficacy of mexiletine hydrochloride (Mexitil) was evaluated in 100 patients with potentially lethal and drug-resistant ventricular arrhythmia. The efficacy of arrhythmia suppression was assessed by Holter monitoring. The overall arrhythmia suppression of ventricular premature contractions of 70% and greater was low and seen in only 22% of patients, with an additional 16% responding to a combination of mexiletine and an additional antiarrhythmic drug. The suppression of high-grade forms, couplets of 90% and greater, and complete abolition of nonsustained runs of ventricular tachycardia was achieved in 22% of patients, with 9% responding to the addition of another antiarrhythmic agent. Ventricular premature contractions, couplets, and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia were suppressed in only 16% of the cohort. The drug was poorly tolerated, with intolerable side effects developing in 49% of patients receiving mexiletine alone and in 57% of patients receiving a combination of antiarrhythmic agents. Tolerable adverse effects were relatively common but transient and dose related.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Sinai Hospital of Detroit, Mich 48235-2899.
authors.forename: N Z
authors.initials: NZ
authors.lastname: Kerin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aragon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marinescu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Faitel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frumin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubenfire
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008801:Mexiletine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D008801:Mexiletine